Web Watch

The increasing trend of cyber-bullying has transcended the playground, according to a study cited by the Christian Science Monitor, as over a quarter of teachers and principals are the subject of mocking blog posts or doctored images. This new brand of bullying tends to be more malicious than normal schoolhouse pranks, and can undercut a teacher’s ability to perform in the classroom. Says one Missouri alderman whose town saw the suicide of a young cyber-bullying victim, "[W]e're starting to look at [bullying] from a whole other angle. People can't just say, 'Sorry, it was a joke,' anymore.’”

Opinions differ, however, on what solutions to pursue. Some school districts have come down hard, using provisions like North Carolina’s cyberstalking law to charge students criminally for electronically communicated threats, racial slurs, and, in one case, spurious accusations of pedophilia.

The legal precedence for these cases is unclear, but many experts believe they are a violation of the First Amendment protection of parody. Moreover, some critics claim that these cases set a bad example for students, discouraging an open dialog about the responsibilities that go along with rights like free expression. Says Vic Walczak, legal director for the Pennsylvania chapter of the ACLU, "What I'm not seeing is school officials approaching this in an adult manner. They're approaching it in an authoritarian fashion...”

Posted by Chris Chester at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Education don’t bode well for the financial health of teachers, according to the MiamiHerald.com. Sixteen percent of this country’s K-12 educators, the DOE reports, work at least one other job outside their school. And the presumption is that the percentage is even higher in urban school districts, like Miami-Dade where the cost of living exceeds a teacher’s salary now averaging $43,095 in Florida. Second jobs at restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, and insurance companies are helping teachers meet their shortfall, but are also prompting feelings of shame. Several teachers declined to be interviewed for the Herald’s story.

Rudy Crew, Miami’s superintendent, has made increasing teacher salaries a priority. However, Philip Robins, a professor of economics at the University of Miami, says it needn’t be. Even so, there are many economists who don't agree that teachers are poorly compensated as it is, according to Philip Robins, a professor of economics at the University of Miami quoted by the Herald. “Many of the benefits of teaching are non-monetary,” says Robins in explaining that view. “Their work in terms of number of weeks is lower than the standard job. They get summers and holidays off. Their benefits are typically better than the benefits of private sector jobs.”

Correction: This post has been corrected, as indicated by the strike-through, to clarify that Philip Robins was summarizing the views of economists in the field, not necessarily his own. See Professor Robins' clarification in the comments section.

Posted by Elizabeth Rich at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)

At first glance, the T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria seems like a shining beacon on a hill. The school cost nearly $100 million to build, equipped every student with a laptop connected to a wireless network, gave teachers LCD projectors for their classrooms to use instead of chalkboards, and increasingly, encouraged the administration to rely on email for interaction with faculty instead of meeting face to face, writes Patrick Welsh, a teacher a the school, in an op-ed published in the Washington Post.

But T.C. Williams’ teachers, even the young and computer savvy, have hit the tech wall. An excess of technology has had the effect of alienating them from their students, Welsh says. Hamstrung by the gadgets the administration forces down their throats, teachers feel they are sacrificing the creativity of their craft for the novelty of the newest gizmos. “It's technology for the sake of technology—not what works or helps kids learn, but what makes administrators look good, what the public will think is cutting edge,” said one young colleague of Welsh's.

The answer may be in moderation. Welsh cites the case of the North Point High School for Science, Technology and Industry in Waldorf, Maryland. More selective in her philosophy on tech integration, the school’s principal believes in a finer balance. "Technology is just a tool, not an end in itself," she says, "It will never replace good teaching."

Posted by Chris Chester at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Looks can be deceiving, as the old adage goes. When principal Shimon Waronker first showed up at J.H.S. 22 in South Bronx, parents and students alike weren’t quite sure what to make of his long beard, black hat, and yarmulke, characteristics of his faith as a Hasidic Jew. The school boasts a student population that is predominantly black and Hispanic, raising concerns about the potential for culture shock.

After graduating from the New York City Leadership Academy, Waronker took on the task of overhauling the school. He instituted a number of controversial changes, such as a school uniform policy and city-subsidized etiquette classes, that rattled many long-time teachers and drew attention from the community.

But the proof is in the pudding, as the New York Times reports. Standardized test scores are on the rise, giving J.H.S. 22 an A on its new school report card. Moreover, attendance rates are exceeding 93 percent, where classes were once lucky if more than a fraction of students showed, and the school is off the list of the city’s most dangerous. Most of the credit, according to Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, belongs to Waronker. “It’s an entirely different place,” said Klein. “If I could clone Shimon Waronker, I would do that immediately.”

Posted by Chris Chester at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Teachers eager to step into a New York City classroom will now
have to submit an essay with their job application, according to the Daily News. This information was revealed at a “contentious” New York City Council hearing on retention and recruitment yesterday.

New York school officials say the essay requirement will weed out unqualified applicants by assessing communication and writing skills and give principals more information about prospective teachers. Applicants will have to react to a hypothetical teaching situation and write about their strengths, weaknesses, and interests. The writing requirement for teachers follows on the heels of a new and rigorous test for aspiring principals.

UFT President Randi Weingarten’s response was mixed: “We believe in high standards for new teachers and having an essay component as part of what new teachers ought to be able to do sounds at first blush like a good idea.” But she also said, “It very much depends on the implementation.”

Posted by Danielle Woods at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pressured by a state mandate, the Polk County school district in Florida has devised a new teacher-evaluation system that relies on student course grades, according to a local news site. The change means, by all appearances, that teachers who have better students—or who are just easier graders—would have a greater chance at getting a good review.

Critics note that special education teachers and teachers of low-income students, in particular, could be unfairly penalized. “They [teachers] hate it,” said Marianne Capoziello, the local teachers’ union president. “They don’t hate it because they are afraid of performance being assessed; they hate it because it doesn’t seem to be a level playing field, especially for teachers working with at risk students.”

Bill Strause, the district’s director of professional development, acknowledged that teachers don’t like the change, but noted that “no one [had] a better system.” He also said that the district’s previous evaluations relied too heavily on subjective judgment.

But one principal quoted suggested that rating teachers on the basis of student performance isn't an improvement. “I just measure on whether they can teach or not,” said Mark Thomas of Lakeland High School.

Posted by Anthony Rebora, teachermagazine.org at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It’s being called the election of our lifetime. On this Super Tuesday, record turn-out is expected at the polls with a cache of delegates at stake for presidential candidates. Around the country, students are being given opportunities to join parents at the polls and vote in mock classroom and online elections. Some teachers are using the moment for civic lessons, others must attend staff development at their closed schools. And according to an ABC Denver affiliate, some parents and teachers were almost faced with a Super Tuesday choice: attend parent-teacher conferences or caucus events.

The principal from Denver’s East Middle School defended the scheduling conflict saying the school had made an error. Explained Lane Williams a science teacher from East, “The schedule’s set in June for the next school year. And, of course, thinking about an election at that time wasn’t a high priority.” Subsequently, the school moved the teacher meeting times earlier, so that parents and staff could make the 7p.m. caucus deadline.

Posted by Elizabeth Rich at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Conventional wisdom once held that the second semester of 12th grade was a period of care-free exuberance, punctuated by long lunch breaks and trips to the beach. Times change, however. According to Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, the increasingly competitive college admissions process, abetted by a culture of academic “fear mongering,” has transformed such harmless frivolity into a diagnosable disorder—senioritis.

Mathews wants no part of that thinking. Suggesting that learning to mix work and play is as important as any AP test, he encourages educators to give their seniors a break, and tells seniors themselves to get a grip. Having a social life and getting a full night’s sleep are worth losing a few multiple-choice questions.

“Once you're in the habit of treating every assignment as critical to your future, it's hard to regain perspective,” Mathews warns. “Isn't the second half of senior year, with college applications turned in—in some cases with an admission letter in your pocket—the perfect time to try out a balanced life?”

Posted by Chris Chester at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Teachers unions and parents in many states have been butting heads for the last several months over the growing popularity of online schools. Commonly known as “virtual schools,” these programs combine the benefits of parent-led home-schooling with state-subsidized instruction by certified teachers. Students download assignments and communicate intermittently with teachers on the internet or over the phone, but their day-to-day reading, arithmetic, and other work is supervised and directed by their parents.

The approach enjoys its most enthusiastic support in geographically dispersed rural areas, because students can enroll in classes that their local schools might not have the resources to support. Another advantage is that students can move at their own pace. Says one parent of two virtual schoolers, “That’s what I love most about this curriculum. There’s no reason for [my daughter] to practice counting if she can already add.”

Prompted by the concerns of teachers unions, however, legislators in states like Wisconsin had sought to cut the public funding for these programs. Critics like Wisconsin Senator John Lehman allege that virtual schools amount to little more than publicly subsidized home-schooling, and charge that they divert badly needed money from school districts to businesses he suspects of “corporate profiteering.”

Whether it’s profiteering or not, state lawmakers recently came to a compromise on the issue after an impassioned plea from virtual school advocates. In exchange for maintaining the current levels of funding, parents agreed to abide by greater government oversight.

Posted by Chris Chester at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)